SHORT STORIES: This Side of the Fence

Amidst a sprawling desert landscape, the town of Columbus, NM rests against the American border with Mexico. What was once the largest city in the state is now a town with less than 2,000 inhabitants, primarily Latino, who struggle for everyday necessities like clean drinking water. The government’s simultaneous multi-million dollar investment in a border fence to run through the small town has made some residents resentful, particularly those who live in the US legally, but cannot afford the application fee to become full citizens.